Low Entertainment Center #1: Low Entertainment Center Pt. 1

Think you can’t build furniture because you only have a few basic tools? Well, check this out! This walnut low entertainment center was built using three primary tools: a circular saw, a router, and a drill. But that doesn’t mean I skimped on quality and design. The unit has sliding doors, good ventilation, a little shelf in the back for a surge protector, and all of the trim is beveled at an angle for a more interesting visual effect (even the trim on the shelves features this bevel).

This video series is full of tips and tricks that will help you get professional results from these simple power tools!

A few of the topics covered in this part:Cutting down sheet goods.Using a guide with your circular sawThe cheapest long rip guide on the planet.Plywood thicknesses.Cutting dados and grooves with the router.Fixing a dado that was cut through when it should have been “stopped” Chiseling the stopped dados square.

A Sketchup plan and cut list is on its way. We are hoping to have it by the release of the next part in this series.

And here’s a great clamping tool guide, very similar to the one used in this episode:

All-In-One Clamp GuidesThe first zero-deflection straight edge clamping guide! Provides you with straighter and more accurate cuts, dadoes and routing without additional clamps.

Just and FYI, this was actually filmed over a year ago. It was originally a project for Finewoodworking.com. After a certain amount of time I had the option to release it for free, so that’s what is happening now. So that’s still the old shop. The new “temporary” shop is still being put together and is almost functional. Electrician is coming out next week.

I would like to personaly thank you for your free videos. You make the projects look so much easier than I would expect them to be. I have the plans for the steamer trunk and the collecting of the wood has been started. Without your videos I would never have even attempted a project like that.

Mark thanks for posting, I enjoy all your videos. My last project was your end grain cutting board.
Its pretty cool how you showed your dado mistake and how to fix it. For me, and the amount of mistakes I make ( which is alot ) this is also good information :) thanks again…. Ron

Thanks for posting the video, Marc. As always I find your tutorials to be straight-forward and readily followed. Like most visual learners this type of approach to teaching woodworking has helped me better understand techniques and process that hone and develop my skills.

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine

thewoodwhisperer,Excellent video as always. Your contributions to Lumberjocks is very much appreciated by all the visitors such as myslef, I’m sure. The rudimentary use of tools and achieving the desired results are exemplified very well. While my thanks are of no monetary benifit to you, I do hope that in some way you can realize a true since of achievment, from all the time and work that went into providing us with this video. Thanks again.

Thanks for the nice comments everyone. Hope your Labor Day weekend was fun and relaxing.

David, the plywood I used was actually MDF core. Certainly not my first choice when it comes to sheet goods. But at the time I was under a time crunch and it was the only thing my supplier had with a walnut veneer. It does look like solid wood in the video though.